Car-coupling



J. 0. COLLINS.

GAR COUPLING.

I Patented Aug. 26, 1890.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN OVER'ION COLLINS, OF FARMVILLE, VIRGINIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 434,978, dated August26, 1890. Application filed June 10, 1890. Serial No. 354,898; (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN OVERTON Con LINS, aoitizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Farmville, in the county of Prince Edward and Stateof Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAutomatic Car- Couplings; and I do declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention has relation to improvements in devices for couplingcars, and is more particularly adapted for use on freight-cars.

The invention will be fully understood from the following descriptionand claims, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure l is a longitudinal sectional View of a pair of draw-headswith my improvements applied, showing alink and a pin in position in oneof the heads and the pin of the oppo site head in a position to efiectan automatic coupling. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of one of thedraw-heads. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the pin-supporting slide.

Referring by letter to the said drawings, A indicates a draw-head, whichmay be of any ordinary or approved construction. This draw-head, whichis provided with the usual flaring mouth a, is also provided with atransverse slot b, and above the slot, within the draw-head, are groovesc, which are designed to serve as guides for the proper movement of theslide, as will be presently explained. The draw-head is also providedwith the usual pin-aperture B, to receive the coupling-pin E. The slotsI) extend laterally through the drawhead at a sufficient distance fromits outer end for the passage of manipulating-arms extending from theslide, as shown.

F indicates the slide, which is designed to support the pin and hold thesame in a position to eifect an automatic coupling when two cars arebrought together. This slide is preferably made of stout sheet metal,having its forward end bent downwardly at e at right angles to the mainbody portion f. This main body portion is of a greater width than thedepending branch 6, so as to form lateral projections g, designed toenter the grooves c in the inner walls of the draw-head, as better shownin Fig. 2 of the draw-head.

Secured to the rear end of the body portion f of the slide are lateralarms h, which extend in opposite directions through the slots 1) in theside walls of the draw-head to a sufficient distance to be convenientlyreached by an operator. These arms h, which I have shown as fastened tothe slide E, may be formed integral therewith, and devices may beemployed in connection with the slide, so that it may be manipulatedfrom any suitable point on a car-such, for instance, as at the top ofthe box-car. The draw-heads are shown as having a rear abutment G,designed to serve as a stop for the backward movement of the slide,although it is obvious that such an abutment might be dispensed withwithout departing from the spirit of my invention, as the grooves in theside walls of the draw-head and the forward and rear ends of the slotstherein will serve as sufficient stops for the backward and forwardmovement of the slide. If desirable in some cases, the lateral arms ofthe slide may be dispensed with and a groove or slot formed in the upper.wall of the drawhead, and a button or slide-arm extending through thegroove to connect with the slide, so that the latter may be moved backand forth from the top of the head.

In operation when it is desirable to couple cars the slide is movedforwardly so as to cover the pin-aperture and the pin placed in saidaperture and upon the slide, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. 'Theabutting car,

with its link entering the draw-head of the car to be coupled, strikesthe depending branch of the slide, and moving it rearwardly With acoupler of the construction illustrated the objectionable necessity ofgoing between the cars is obviated. The parts are very durable and easyto operate, and the use of springs and like devices, which have been sooften found objectionable, are dispensed with, and while my improvementsare more easy to apply to new draw-heads, yet the improvements may beplaced upon draw-heads such as at present in use by a very slightalteration and at a Very small expense. In a short coupling'the lateralarms h may be secured'to the forward end of the slide instead of at therear end, as previously described.

Having described my invention, What I claim is 1. A draw-head having itsside walls slotted and grooved on their inner sides above the slots andalso having the abutment therein, in combination with the slide havingthe lateral arms extending through the slots, the

' main body portion of the slide bearingin the grooves within thedraw-head, and the for- Ward end of the slide depending at right angles,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. A draw-head having its lateral walls slotted and the inner side ofsaid walls grooved above the slots, in combination with a pinsupportingslide having a bearing in said grooves, and also havinglaterally-projecting arms, substantially as specified.

3. Thepin-supp'orting slide E, having its forward end of less width thanthe main body portion and depending at right angles thereto, themanipulating-arms secured to the rear end of said slide, in combinationWithadrawhead adapted to receive'the slide and having a pin-aperture toreceive a coupling-pin, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I aff x my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

JOHN OVERTON COLLINS.

Witnesses:

THOS. L. MORTON, J AMES VENABLE.

